Molecular identification, phylogenetic status, and geographic distribution of Culicoides oxystoma (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Israel.

Culicoides oxystoma (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is an important vector species, reported mainly from Asia, with high potential to transmit viral diseases affecting livestock. In Japan, many arboviruses have been isolated from C. oxystoma, suggesting it as a key player in the epidemiology of several Culicoides-borne diseases.

Epidemiological investigation of bovine ephemeral Fever outbreaks in Israel.

Outbreaks of bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) occurred in Israel in 1990, 1999, and 2004. The main patterns of BEF spread were similar in the 1990 and in 1999 epidemics, and the BEF virus was probably carried in vectors transported by air streams across the Rift Valley and the Red Sea. In the 2004 outbreak, the primary focus of the disease was the southern Mediterranean coastal plain and the disease agent was apparently brought by infected mosquitoes carried from their breeding site in the Nile Delta by the south-western winds.

The association of winds with the spread of EHDV in dairy cattle in Israel during an outbreak in 2006.

Winds may play a major role in spread of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Arboviruses like epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), bluetongue virus and bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) frequently cause major outbreaks in Israel with a unique pattern of spread. Most of these outbreaks begin in the Jordan valley, near the Sea of Galilee and then spread to the north, south and west through the major valleys of Israel.

Newly emerged nulliparous Culicoides imicola Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) with pigmented abdomen.

The method of segregating nulliparous and parous females of Culicoides spp. based on the presence of burgundy-red pigment inside the abdominal wall of parous Culicoides midges, is used worldwide. Out of 320 females of Culicoides imicola trapped by emergence traps, set over an artificial breeding site for 10 and 24 days, 73 (22.

Insect contribution to horizontal transmission of Reticuloendotheliosis virus.

The involvement of insects in Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) transmission was examined by testing insects trapped at commercial farms and by controlled feeding experiments using mosquitoes, Culex pipiens L. and house flies, Musca domestica L. We established sensitive methods of REV detection, including reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for REV-LTR and REV-gag genes, REV antigenemia measurements by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and virus isolation in tissue cultures.

Akabane virus in Israel: a new virus lineage.

This report describes the first molecular characterization of Akabane virus (AKAV) in Israel. The virus was recognized by real-time RT-PCR in extracts from Culicoides imicola insects trapped at the Volcani Center located in the center of Israel. This is also the first report on the use of real-time RT-PCR to identify the virus.